The Monster In My Bed
by Spencebox
Summary: Sarasota, Florida was all Abby had ever known. She'd miss the heat, and she'd miss her dad. But this would be good for her, for both of them. She'd only met Uncle Charlie once and her cousin Isabella was barely even a memory. But this; moving to Forks and away from her friends and a life she'd once had would be good for her. She'd make sure of it. (Jasper/Oc)
1. Bitter yet Sweet and Salty

_Chapter 1_

_Bitter yet Sweet and Salty_

She'd miss the heat- the feel of the summer sun against her butterscotch skin was a feeling that Abby would truly desire once she stepped foot into the Airport Terminal and left behind everything she knew and loved in Sarasota, or Florida to be more broad.

She'd only met her cousin Isabella _once _and they had been practically babies and to be honest, she barley understood how they were cousins. There wasn't a thing she could tell you about Bella but yet her she was, moving to Forks Washington, population 3,100 to live with her and Uncle Charlie.

"Do you have everything? All your jewelry and socks and stuff like that?" Her dad Alan stood in the doorway, hands stuffed in his pockets and eyes on everything but her. "Yeah, pretty much. I mean I can't fit it all so if you could mail some stuff that'd be cool."

Her hand lingered on the stuffed blue bear on her pillow and shoved him in her suitcase before zipping it closed. The room looked nearly bare, aside from a few bags of clothes and an old computer monitor that she'd get later. She'd put her life in a suitcase and carryon.

"Is Samantha on her way? Don't wanna miss your flight." He rolled on the balls of his feet as she checked for a text from her ride. "On her way now."

Abby hefted the carryon over her shoulder as her dad grabbed the suitcase, both of them walking down the stairs to wait by the door. It was a heavy silence between them, as neither knew what to say. Well Abby knew what she wanted to hear.

"Are you even gonna tell me you'll miss me? I thought you and Sharon learned communication skills from Dr. Harper-"

"Don't Abby. Just be happy one of us is leaving." She wanted to scream at him that he should be going with her, that sending her off was the worst decision he'd ever made, only second to marrying Sharon. But instead they stood in silence and waited for Sam to come and take her away from this chaotic house-

"_Finally fucking leaving eh? Where's __**my **__kiss goodbye huh?" _

Sharon was drunk again, a normal occurrence in this house. Neither father nor daughter spoke as she raged on. "No no I get it. I _fucking get __**it.**_" She practically spit the words out and stumbled forward, Alan catching her as she fell. "Honey please, go back to your room-"

"_Oh fuck you Alan. _And besides, I wanted to tell the little bitch bye."

Now Abby should've seen this coming, and tried not to flinch when Sharon spat in her eyes with the ferociousness of a spitting mule. Alan yanked his inebriated wife away from his daughter and pushed her into the next room over. She could hear them yelling, could feel the slaps and ripping of clothes, and blessed every entity as she heard Sam's old Volvo pull up.

It was a struggle to get her suitcase and carryon out the door but she managed, and gave Sam a look that said 'get me the hell out of here.'

"You do know we could still run away right? Esther is still in Europe and I know the people she's staying with have bank and she would totally give us a hideout- you being away from this shitty situation and me being able to go with you to avoid said shitty situation. Perfect plan."

Abby watched one of her two best friends Sam try and plot their escape even though they both knew there was no getting out of this predicament. "And then the three of us will live happily ever after, end of story. Am I right or am I right?"

Abby laughed and shook her head, "Thanks for the ride but I gotta get through pre-check or I'll miss my flight which I can guess is what you want." Sam nodded before giving her a bone-crushing hug, face smashed intro friends warm neck while mumbling 'don't leave'.

"I'm not leaving forever Sammy. Don't forget you have a ticket in, what is it- two months to come visit me? And we'll still text everyday and hell you can even call me if texting isn't enough. Okay?" Sam nodded and smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I promise Sam…"

"I know, I know. It's just… " Sam didn't know how to word it right.

"I have this _feeling. _Like something bad is gonna happen."

Her hands were erratic as she tried to physically show her thoughts, "And I don't mean you're plane crashing or anything. It's just a feeling. And I don't like it." Abby gave a soft smile and cupped her friends rosy cheek, "I swear to you, I'll be okay. But I gotta go or something bad _will _happen if I'm not on that plane."

Sam nodded and gave one last hug and released her friend, waving as she ran into the terminal and out of sight.

She went back to the car and sat inside; she hadn't mentioned the dream she'd had of red eyes and pale skin, or the other ones with wolves the size of trucks with speed like lightening. They'd scared her at first- watching her friend die by pale hands or red eyes watching Abby through trees and windows, but she didn't want to scare her friend.

This was good for Abby- at least that's what she told herself- her parents broken marriage had put a rift in her life and maybe the change of scenery would do her some good. And besides, she'd be visiting in a few months so maybe then she could confess her concerning dreams… but then again.

They were just dreams, they weren't real.

Right?

* * *

There was only one bathroom upstairs in Uncle Charlie's house- he made it seem like it was a death sentence but she could care less, it was just a bathroom.

Isabella, or as she apparently preferred to be called, Bellawas at Forks High School. She was a junior and had just started up in the middle of the year, same as Abby was bound to do. Charlie showed her Bella's room first- he seemed quite happy at his choice of lilac wallpaper, and she noted that there was lone cactus on the windowsill.

She wished she'd brought one.

He showed her room she'd be staying in- _her room_\- and was pleasantly surprised. It had nice creamy blue walls, though aside from that was exactly like Bella's, minus the Bella-ness. It was a bigger bed than she'd had in Sarasota and there was more space for things like posters and knick-knacks. It was more than she could ask for.

"Thank you Charlie. This is more than perfect." He gave her a shy smile that stretched his cop like moustache and stood in the doorway awkwardly. "You know if you're up for it maybe when Bells gets home we could all go out. There's a diner not far…. Got good burgers."

She gave him a blinding smile and nodded, accepting his invitation to a daddy daughter + cousin dinner outing. He nodded eagerly back and swirled on his foot, exiting the bedroom. Abby seriously appreciated Charlie. He was making an effort to welcome her to home she'd never been in as well as with a cousin who probably didn't remember her. But she saw the effort, and it was better than anyone in her actual family had ever done.

It took a solid hour and a half to unpack her things; various figurines and action figures lined the bookshelf, as well as fantasy books and DVD sets that she couldn't leave behind if she tried. It looked better now; it looked like a part of her was in the room. It was nice.

"_I'm home." _It wasn't so much of a yell as it was a statement of entrance from who could only be her cousin Bella. Well, it was now or never. Abby stepped out of her room and watched as Bella let out a shocked laugh as she walked up the stairs.

"Abby. You look…older." They both nodded. "I could say the same to you. Last time I saw you, you were-" Abby placed her hand near her knee to gesture her cousins height, which Bella nodded at and gave that odd half smile half grimace she always gave.

They stood there for a minute, "oh yeah uhm Charlie said he's gonna take us out. To the diner. Later. You up for it?" Bella bit her lip. "Yeah, yeah sure I'm game. Just let me put my stuff down and yeah…"

Having conversations with Bella was always an arduous task; her cousin loved to stumble over her words, or lie to make people happy and sometimes Abby just wished she would stop and speak her mind. But alas, that was just who Bella was. And truthfully, Bella was a nice change of pace.

* * *

"So, how was school? Meet anyone new?" Bless Charlie for trying to start a conversation because Abby was invested in this burger and fry combo.

"A few people… Do you know the Cullens?" The fry that was en route to her mouth came to a halt at Bella's question. Who the hell were the Cullens? Charlie nodded as he bit into his own burger before grumbling "Are people talkin bout them again?"

Bella looked sheepish while Abby was curious. "You know we're lucky to have a man like Dr. Cullen in this podunk town. And besides, his kids are better than most of the little monsters around here." Bella nodded and picked at her garden burger. Abby was still curious, "Are they in our year?"

Bella nodded but didn't speak, and Charlie pondered aloud "They haven't been here that long. I remember Dr. Cullen mentioning Alaska once or twice." Another fry entered Abby's mouth. They were getting slightly soggy but were still good.

The mood brightened up when a man named Waylon came over and talked about playing Santa when Bella was a kid.

Abby kept her questions to herself. She was starting Forks High on Wednesday, so she could keep questions to herself for another day.

* * *

"_Hey dad. I made it to Forks. Charlie's really cool and Bella is the same old Bella." _What else was there to say? "_I like the weather. It's cold. I like it. Wish you were here to enjoy it." _She wanted to say 'I miss you' but the words couldn't form and she nearly croaked. God this was going on too long.

"_Well I'll uh check in later… Bye." _

She hung up and stared at the flip phone. He hadn't answered the house phone, his work phone or personal cell. But she wasn't surprised; She loved her dad for some sick reason and wished he could just show her that he cared.

Salty tears feel down her cheeks and imprinted in her covers, choked sobs lodged in her throat. Abby wanted to tell herself that this would be good for her, that change was what she – and Alan and Sharon- needed to maybe try and get their lives together. But was she supposed to feel this lonely? Was she supposed to feel so bitter inside? If so, then she did not want to feel at all.

A knock at her door forced a quick wipe of shed tears a false smile on her face. It was just Bella, standing in the doorway, tugging at her shirtsleeve.

"Hey, just wanted to know if you needed a ride tomorrow. Billy gave me a truck and yeah, I could take you, at least if you're up for it." Abby nodded.

Bella went to turn away but stopped with her hand on the doorknob, "Charlie's not that bad, once you get used to him. He's trying. He really is. And I'm just here so…yeah…"

Abby wished she had the strength to get up and give her a hug. She settled on a simple "Thanks Bella" and tensely smiled as her cousin shut the door. It took a few minutes to change her clothes to baggy pajamas and slid under the soft comforter, head resting on the scentless pillow and dreaming a dreamless sleep.


	2. With a Hint of Desperation

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**Ao3: SpenceBox (this fic is NOT posted there)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter 2_

_With a Hint of Desperation_

The truck that Billy had given Bella wasn't terrible, but it sure as hell wasn't good. It could be described as rustic, and the best thing she could say about it that was it started. The color on the outside was less than desirable but then again, it ran and that was all they needed to get to and from school. It truly was a rust bucket.

"I can practically feel your judgment. Just say it." Abby snorted. "Are you sure we'll make it there?" A nod from Bella. "Alive?"

Bella took one hand off the wheel to slap her shoulder and both of them let out a snicker. It was a wet day in Forks; the ground was covered in a thin layer of ice that would never see the chance to melt away, as the sun seemed to have an issue with making an appearance. It was the polar opposite of Florida and she was almost thankful she would never have to feel the humid Sarasota air in the middle of the night.

And the scenery was something out of this world. There were miles upon miles of lush green trees and a forest that must've expanded hundreds of thousands of acres. And the smell of fresh-dewed pines was a scent she would never tire of. Now seeing as she'd only been there a day there was no way to tell if the woods were safe or not. She'd give her left kidney to take a stroll through the tall stumps.

The streets were empty as Bella drove on, and Abby took in the still closed shops that lined the sidewalks. It was nice to see small locally owned store; Florida had started to become filled with a Starbucks on every corner and the small houses had become condo upon condo. This was a change of scenery.

"So, what's there to do for fun around here?"

"I only have 24 hours on you Abs. I know just as much as you. Maybe even less." Abby shook her head and disagreed. "But you've been here more recently than I have-"

"Recently as in when I was 12?" Abby narrowed her eyes; Touché Bella. The rest of the drive was pretty quiet, both girls not having much to say. They both just watched the trees.

Bella pulled into the Forks High School parking lot and Abby took it all in. There were gaggles of students spread across the wide span of cement, and she could practically see the cliques. The jocks were by the front door – and of course they were wearing their jerseys because why not- and were eyeing the cheerleaders a few feet away- who all donned matching pom poms with short skirts.

It was all very TV show high school to be honest. Abby slid from the truck and waited as Bella came around. They walked- and people stared- into the High School entrance. Bella directed her to the office to get her first day class slip to have signed.

"Can I see?" Abby handed her the schedule. They had lunch and gym together, but that was it. It was better than nothing,

"Trig? When did you get so smart?" Abby snorted and shoved her cousin. "Oh please Bella, under this skin lays a genius." Bella went to quip when a spunky Korean boy ran in front of them.

"Bella! How you been? And who's this? I'm Eric- the eyes and ears of this school and I'll tell you what I told Bella, you're news baby." He held out his hand with a sun bright smile and she would've felt bad if she didn't shake it, so she did and boy did his eyes light up like a tree on Christmas.

He shook her hand for a little too long, and luckily Bella could sense the awkwardness. "Actually I'll uh, see you at lunch. Abby too." Bella grabbed her hand and tugged Abby away from a smiling Eric who practically yelled 'Bye Abby!'.

"Please tell me everyone isn't like that."

"You think he's bad? Wait till you see-"

"_Bella! _You didn't tell us you had a _cousin! _Is she from Arizona too- Are you from Arizona? Hi, I'm Jessica, Jessica Stanley. It's great to meet you, practically another Bella. Can't get too many of those right?" Abby stared dumbfounded across the lunch table.

Bella had given her a quick rundown of the small group of people who had latched onto her side. Jessica- overzealous pretentious condescending girl with the shadiest smile, Mike- horn dog for Bella, Angela- bit of a mouse but reminded her of Esther, Tyler- idiot?, and Eric- who she'd already met.

They sounded like a mash up of good and bad on paper but in real life, they were _something else. _Jessica had sat down and immediately went _off _about how some girl named Lauren had taken her spot in the Math Decathlon – or something like that, she was talking so fast it was hard to follow- and would now be slightly at risk of not being Valedictorian next year. Mike seemed to hang off her every word and Angela seemed to be in her head, picking at her sandwich.

Abby was giving Bella the look of 'save me' when Jessica promptly closed her mouth and stared over Abby's shoulder. In fact, everyone at the table was staring. "Uhm guys?"

She turned around and tried not to gawk. Who the hell are they?

"Who the hell are they?" Jessica whipped around and glared like she'd committed a cardinal sin. The rest of the table turned back as Jessica gave Abby the run down, " They're the _Cullens." _

Oh. So these were the people Bella had mentioned last night.

"You talk about them like I'm supposed to know who they are. Do you?"

"Well _duh. _They're the Cullens. Their dad Carlisle Cullen- he's basically the one doctor in the whole town- and his wife adopted them all. But like, they're together. Like, _together together._"

Abby turned around and looked at the table that held the Cullens. There was a big one who looked like he did _not _belong on high school, and he had his arm on the shoulders of a stunningly beautiful blonde. Next to them was a short haired girl who seemed to have the biggest smile on her face, and was next to a blonde haired man who was more beautiful than the female blonde.

He was textbook hot, like _really hot. _

"Yo Jess, who's that one?" Jessica looked and pursed her lips. "Edward? Don't waste your time." Bella chimed in "I think she means Jasper. Right?"

"Jasper?"

As if he could hear her- which he sure as hell couldn't because he was all the way across the room- looked up from his plate to stare directly at her. He had golden eyes- which was different but he seemed to swim in being different. She swallowed as he held her gaze, a want to drown in gold filling her stomach. Who was this guy?

He broke the contact when the girl next to him touched his shoulder, leaning up and whispering in his ear words that Abby wished she could understand. They both stood and briskly walked from the cafeteria, leaving three people- the boy and girl couple and a bronze haired guy that was probably Edward.

"Don't mind him. He always looks like he's in pain so it would be no shock if he actually was." Jessica went back to her Math story and Abby shot Bella a look. Lunch ended fairly quickly, and the two girls made their way to gym, which would, without a doubt, be actual hell.

"Are you sure you need to do this?"

"You weren't there Abs. He looked at me like I was _filth." _Abby tried to keep up with her cousin as she rushed down the hall to the main office, determined to get switched out of Bio because of certain Edward Cullen. Apparently, he had spent today's class- and yesterdays- practically glaring holes at her cousin-, which was kinda fucked up in her book. She'd have to give this Edward guy a talk.

"You sure you don't just wanna ignore him till the end of days? Or egg him?" Bella gave her a look that could murder puppies and opened the office door but stopped in the doorway.

"No, every other class is full. I'm sorry but you have to stay in Biology." Edward grunted something and she shook her head. "Fine. I'll just endure it." He shouldered past Bella and quickly strolled down the hall and out the main door.

What a dick.

"What a dick."

* * *

"How was the first day? I need to murder anyone?" Charlie cut into his too big to be real steak and took a massive chunk out with his teeth. The three of them were at the diner again and Abby had ordered the same burger and fries with a Pepsi.

"It was high school. Everyone is full of crap and gym still sucks. But murder? I might hold you to that…" She let her sentence hang and took a big bite of meat and bun, savoring in the juicy goodness of fatty foods.

"How bout you Bells? You met that Newton boy? His dad was in the office today- something about stolen equipment or whatever- mentioned he wouldn't be against hiring you." A cough from Abby. "Either of you. Maybe even both."

Bella vehemently shook her head, chocolate curls going haywire. "Abby can have it. Mike is a little too much for me and I wasn't looking for a job, for now at least. And besides, I think Mike likes you. More than me at least."

Now Abby didn't take Bella for a liar but she sure was being a goddam _liar_ right about now. But was Abby mean enough to play her game?

Yes.

"So Bella how's Edward? He apologized for being a dick or what?" Charlie dropped his knife and stared at Bella with the 'what the hell is she talking about' look. Bella went beet red and looked to make an escape but the only way would be to hop the table and run out the door and Bella wasn't wild enough for that.

"He's a guy at school. A Cullen."

"Cullen? One of Carlisle's boys picking on you? I'll drive by the hospital tomorrow to give him a good chat. Get him to straighten his boy out-"

"No Charlie, it's fine, really. He just had an off day. It's fine." He didn't seem convinced but let it go, digging back into his juicy steak.

* * *

"Charlie? I'll be outside for a little bit so don't lock the door or anything. I'll lock up when I come back in." She heard him grunt in affirmative as she stepped outside, closing the door behind. She walked forward a few steps on the soft grass before sitting on the not so dewy ground.

The cell rung for a few minutes before it was picked up.

"_Ay! She lives! I was beginning to think your plane had gone down and I was never gonna see you again. Hell, I was basically planning your funeral." _

"How's life without me Sammy? Cold? Depressing?" Her friend scoffed on the other line.

"_Practically unbearable Abs. I'm so goddam lonely now. With you gone, and Esther not coming back any time soon, I'm just… here." _Abby could hear the sadness in her friends voice and wished she could hug her through the phone.

"I miss you too Sammy. God, I wish you were here. I think you'd like it. The high schoolers are full of shit but there is this one family and let me just say, you'd be obsessed with them."

"_Oooh, tell me about them. Are they hot? Or mysterious? Wait wait, they're misunderstood but have hearts of gold. Am I close? Too on the nose?" _

They both let out chuckles, "You're actually not too far off. They seem to keep to themselves- almost like they have something to hide. And one of them was a dick to Bella so they're not completely perfect. But one of them is _crazy _hot. Like 'how on earth can you be that hot' hot."

"_A name Abs, give me the wretched name." _

She remembered Jessica's voice saying it. "Jasper. Jasper Cullen"

"_Jasper. Like Casper? Is he Jasper the friendly ghost?" _Abby snorted and they both gave into laughter. It was nice, for the two friends so far apart to feel so close. They needed this, more than ever. But Abby knew she had to ask, even if Sam would hate to hear it.

"How's Alan? Have there been any news reports about a local hulk with Sharon's clothes roaming the streets?"

Abby could practically feel her friends distaste at the topic change, "_They're just as bad as when you left. I passed by and saw Alan throwing Sharon's shit on the lawn and Sharon was-" _She heard Sam take a deep breath and exhale angrily.

"_She was putting up posters. __**Again.**__" _ Abby felt her lip quiver a bit as her memories took her back to things best not thought.

"Did Alan take them down? He should because it's not good-"

"_Abby, I took em down. I told my mom and we both did. It's not good for Sharon, Alan, or anyone really to have em up. Just a guilt trip n a half." _

Sharon had put the posters up years ago; everyone in Sarasota knew about Sharon because of the damn missing posters that she splayed on everyone's door, begging them to find _her. _And even after all these years with _nothing, _she couldn't just let it rest. Abby had let it go along time ago-

A twig snapped to her right, just beyond the forest line. Her head sharply turned, eyes searching the dark trees, but seeing nothing but black.

"_Abby? Abs you there?"_

"Yeah yeah, just… thought I heard something." Her eyes never strayed from the trees. "It's pretty late, I should get to bed, got school in the morning."

"_Sure thing Abs. I'll hit you up tomorrow or later this week. Gotta make sure Forks is treating you good. Nighty Night." _

"Night." She snapped the phone shut and squinted harder at the trees. In her bones, or maybe some instinct she had, told her that she was being watched. By who or what, she didn't know. But _something…._

"Abby! It's a school night. Hurry up!" She turned and raced inside, flinching at another snap of twig, turning the doorknob and slamming it behind, staring out the door window. It was still there, whatever it was, watching her. She felt like the prey; even within the walls of her new home, at this moment a predator was watching her.

Abby backed away slowly and raced upstairs, yelling a 'goodnight' to Charlie before closing her bedroom door. Her eyes shot to the open windows and closed them immediately.

She was sure she'd closed them before she'd come downstairs; she hated sleeping in the cold.

"It's all in your head Abs. It's all in your head." A quick change of clothes and a taming of wild curls left Abby lying in her bed, under her covers, staring at the ceiling. It was a big bed, big enough for two. Her hand swept across the empty space.

That night she dreamt she drowned in gold.


	3. A Touch of Confusion

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews! **

**Just FYI, I'm a bit of a nerd for Stranger Things and have had it on the brain. I'm planning various OC style one shots for Jonathon Byers, Jim Hopper, Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler, Alexei Smirnoff and Billy Hargrove. **

**I will be juggling doing one shots as well as updating this fic so I will try to not make you guys wait to long. **

**Enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

_Chapter 3_

_A Touch of Confusion_

As many people tend to say when thrown into a new situation, or perhaps just thrown in general- life goes on. And some people would disagree; that life _didn't _go on- no matter how hard they tried… it just didn't feel right. That it never would.

It was like the world was moving around them but they were stuck in one place, an unmoving force in the current of time. It felt strange to watch the strands of everyone's lives move past your shoulders as your feet were planted in the deep damp earth; a boulder in a sea.

Abby tried to be a fish; She wanted to move with the waves and pass by with an ease that she had not felt in so long. She wanted peace. And nothing about a rainy day was peaceful.

"Bella you almost ready? We gotta go!" Abby yelled up the stairs as she stood at the door, wrapped in her thick winter coat that stupidly lacked a hood which left her curly frizz susceptible to the cold Forks wind and rain. She'd pulled back the untamed mess into a bun that strained against the thin hair tie, but it would do for now.

That was the one up-side to Forks; Sarasota had been hot and slightly humid most of the year which had been dreadful to her scalp- there had been days of such intense heat that she had wanted to tear her hair off just to let her head breath, but Forks was cold and wet with very far and few days of sun- which gave her more than enough days to wear her hair au natural.

Today was a little too cold and windy for that.

Bella came down the stairs in a huff donning her own mustard coat with an umbrella under her arm. She thought for a moment that an umbrella sounded like a good idea… nah, the forecast said 30% chance and that didn't warrant an umbrella.

The door was opened and they made their way outside as Charlie mumbled about changing the tires to be more resilient against the harsh ice. People tended to get into more accidents in the harsh wintertime; Charlie had been to more than enough crime scenes where people had slid off the road and slammed against a tree, or worse, other people.

"Be careful Bella, tires are new so hopefully they don't cause too much trouble."

Bella had already made it to the car and Abby was following suit when a particularly slippery patch of ice came under her foot and had her slamming forward into the cold ground. Charlie charged forward to help her up and cringed at the bruise forming on her nose and the slight trickle of blood at her eyebrow.

"C'mon back inside, I got a first aid kit somewhere." He tried to steer her inside but she resisted, not wanting to miss school cause of a little blood. She dabbed away the blood with her sleeve and Charlie grimly smiled as it stopped bleeding.

"If you feel dizzy you call me I'll come get you alright? Don't want you passing out or anything."

"I'm fine Charlie. A little blood never hurt anyone." She waved off his concern and joined Bella in the car, both waving at Charlie as Bella took down the road to Forks High.

It was a quick drive, as there seemed to be a lack of people on the road, and they made it there in record time. But luck was not on their side as it started to drizzle as they pulled into the parking lot and lightly pour as the car was put in park. What a day to not bring an umbrella.

Abby stared at the wet windshield and gave a weak grimace to Bella, silently asking for her umbrella.

Bella gave a light smirk and stepped out of the car, opening her umbrella and walking to the building entrance. Abby still sat there, watching Bella in the rearview mirror and muttering obscenities under her breath.

A tap on the glass startled her from her death glare and she turned to look at… _Alice Cullen? At her window?_

The other girl mouthed the words 'open up' and Abby had no reason to not oblige, so she made a 'move back' motion with her hand and opened up the door.

"Hi! Sorry to bother you but I noticed you needed an umbrella and I have an extra. Here- it'll protect your hair." Alice held out a black umbrella in her pale hand and Abby just stared at it. Was this- was this not _weird? _This was weird as hell.

No Cullen had talked to her in her week here and now Alice had walked up to _her _car and was offering her _her _umbrella. Abby turned her head and looked out of the car- fully aware of how weird she was being- and looked at the Cullens who typically parked their car at the opposite lane… and lo behold there they were.

Staring at her.

Who was staring at them.

Abby looked away and stared wide eyed at Alice's still present smile. This was _fucking weird. _

Her hand reached forward and gripped the umbrella with an unsure smile, "Thanks Alice. I'll uh give it back after school if that's okay." Alice shook her now wet with rainwater hair.

"It's no problem Abby. I just know we're going to be great friends. Bye!" She flitted away to her siblings as Abby peered out of the car once more to watch them. She was beginning to understand why everyone thought they were quite odd.

Abby jumped from the car as she eyed the outdoor clock, 7:55, and opened the umbrella as she made her way into the school. She paused on her way up the short set of stairs, listening to the rain pelting against the material of the umbrella.

She could feel it. Abby could feel their stares at her back and it made her breath tremble. It made no sense. Why did the Cullens even care- not care but even acknowledge her existence?

She needed advise.

* * *

"Maybe she just wants to be friends. They're not aliens you know." Angela chuckled as she started the next trig problem.

"Or maybe they want to harvest my bones. Or eat my liver. Have you ever considered they might be cannibals Angela? Have you?" Abby glared as Angela snorted while quickly bustling through yet another problem.

"If they wanted to eat you then they would Abby. Why would they give you an umbrella, which would in turn prevent you from getting sick, if they wanted to kill you?" Angela turned to look her in the eyes. "Maybe Alice wants to be your friend. And maybe you shouldn't take a page out of the 'I hate Cullen's' book that Jessica wrote and be _niicceee_. It wouldn't hurt."

"I am nice-"

"_Mmmhm! Girls. If you have something you say, share it with the rest of the class." _Abby and Angela went bright red and silently went back to their work.

A few minutes later a note was nudged under her hand.

_Give them a chance :)_

* * *

Bella isn't there during lunch, which is a bit of a surprise seeing as she hadn't told Abby she wouldn't, which meant Abby had to endure Jessica and Mike alone. Which currently made her want to tear her hair out.

"And so his dad wouldn't give me the job because I'm apparently" she lifted her hands in dramatic quotes " 'distractingly unaware of company policy and conduct'. Sexist prick honestly. No offense Mike."

"Why's he sexist?" Abby doesn't know why she asked, but she did.

And Jessica looked almost taken aback that she had been questioned. "Well like, he said I talked to much and like twice he stared at my ass."

Abby nodded but made no further comment and went back to picking at her cold pizza. Jessica continued ranting about how terrible Mike's dad was, and Mike just nodded with a grimace, while Eric and Angela were deep in their own conversation.

Which left Abby to her own thoughts, which were on the Cullens, which were seated behind her at their usual table. She'd noticed an extra Cullen- one she hadn't seen before so it was right to assume this was Edward. He was tall, taller than her and Bella or basically anyone she knew, and had a light amount of muscle in his arms and chest. His hair was perfectly quaffed and it made her want to flick it.

She could see why Bella would like this guy; He was conventionally pretty and seemed to radiate that same eeriness that the rest of the Cullens did. Though to be honest, Jasper was much cuter. He had better hair, better arms, and a better look in general-

She turned as a harsh cough came from behind her- precisely coming from the Cullen table, where Edward was hiding a smile behind his fist. She turned back and finished her pizza, waving bye to her friends, though they barely noticed she was leaving, and made her way to drop her tray by the trashcan.

It was déjà vu; it was the same as she'd felt standing on the steps of the school, holding the umbrella and listening to the rain. That feel of a thousand stares into your back, and once again, it made her tremble.

Abby pushed the door open and left the cafeteria as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

* * *

The rain had stopped but the grim clouds had stayed.

Abby walked across the parking lot to Bella's side, taking in her gold onion and grim face, "You weren't at lunch which meant I was alone in dealing with Jessica and her tendency to ramble till my ears bleed."

Bella nodded, "Yeah. I was just in the main office- sorry I didn't think it would take that long."

Abby shrugged it off and pointed to the golden onion, "I'm gonna guess that was the consolation prize." Bella gave a half chuckle and made to step into the car, but then Abby stopped her with a hand on her arm, tugging her to the trunk. An insurance policy if the Cullen's did try and eat her liver, but that was pretty low on the worry radar at this point.

"Hey can you wait a sec? I gotta give Alice back her umbrella. Be right back." Bella didn't have a chance to question her cousin as Abby jogged across the parking lot and stopped in front of the much shorter Cullen.

Abby put on a bright smile and decided to take Angela's advice. Maybe they were just nice and not cannibalistic at all.

"Thanks again Alice." Her hand held out the umbrella and nodded when Alice took it. Her eyes quickly glossed over Edward, who stood slightly to Alice's right, and gave him a hard smile. She didn't forget the way he'd been a dick to Bella. She completely avoided looking at Jasper.

"I'll see you later Alice." Alice went to open her mouth, probably some compliment on the tip of her tongue, when a squeal of tires rang through the air.

Abby turned and felt her stomach drop as a blue van coming down the center of the parking lot swerved on the ice- heading for Bella.

Time was frozen.

Bella was the boulder, only she didn't know it. She wasn't aware that time was moving around her and her feet were stuck to the ground. The sea was surrounding them and time was choosing to be cruel.

Time resumed all too quickly.

The van continued to swerve in her cousins direction and Abby started to run to her, to run to Bella to push her out of the way, to save her, to not loose someone _again. _

She made it all of two steps before a iron like rope wrapped around her waist, pulling her back into- what could have only been- a solid brick wall. Her struggling was useless as another arm wrapped around her chest, holding her still.

Her head turned and she felt her face turn white. It wasn't an iron like viper than had caught her in its grip, or an immovable wall of stone, but Jasper Cullen holding her to his chest. There was no time to exclaim in anger at his act of holding her back, or question how he was so strong, as the crunch of metal rang through the air.

Tears welled in her eyes as she pictured Bella's crushed lifeless body; a bag of flesh trapped between two cars and she'd been useless to do a thing. She'd let her die, just like she'd let-

"Call an ambulance! Bella are you okay?"

The iron grip was removed and she was pushed away, though she was grateful and ran to Bella who _wasn't _dead and _hadn't _been crushed between two cars. Abby slid down near Bella and was amazed. Not a scratch on her cousin.

In fact, the only thing to marvel at were the hand prints that donned each car- as if someone had _held the cars apart with their bare hands._ People were all trying to see if she was okay, other people realizing she wasn't hurt and shocked as well.

Abby helped her up, "Back up everyone! Give her some space!"

People seemed to calm down and seemed to back away, allowing both girls to walk to the steps and sit as they waited for an ambulance. Eric said it would be at least five minutes and they nodded. He went inside to get the Principle and left them alone.

Abby turned to her and looked her dead in the eye.

"How are you _alive? _You should be _dead."_

Bella took a shuddering breath and nearly wheezed out one word that confused Abby beyond belief because he'd been standing behind Alice right before the van had started to skid. He hadn't been anywhere near Bella so how could he have not only gotten to her, but stopped a truck with his hands?

"_Edward."_


	4. Suspicion with Detestation

**Chapter 4 Here! Since it's Summer, updates should be slightly frequent so Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter 4_

_Suspicion with Detestation_

The ride to the Hospital was quiet.

Bella sat on the gurney- she reused to lie down as she felt this whole ambulance was unnecessary- and Abby sat in one of the vacant chairs near her. Everyone was mostly silent, aside from a few questions about any allergies here and there.

It was a slow ride that was full of steady turns; as to not cause another ice related accident. They helped Bella out and were rushing her off to a room to be examined when she herself was stopped by a hand on the shoulder from one of the EMT's.

"Sorry Ma'am but you need to sign in at the front desk and they'll direct you to a room once Bella is given a doctor." It threw her off how casually he used her cousin's name, but then again this was a small town and Charlie was the Chief of Police. "Those are just the rules. Sorry." He nodded and walked away, down a hall and out of sight.

It took her a few minutes to find the front desk and it wasn't a pleasant exchange. The woman at the front desk looked at her like she didn't belong there, but Abby still kept her smile on.

"Hi, Bella Swan was just brought her and the EMT told me I needed to check in at the front desk to find her room."

Her name-tag read 'Jessie' with a sticker heart over the i. "Sorry but only one visitor at a time and Chief Swan arrived ten minutes ahead of you. And it's family only."

"Well I am family and I'm sure Charlie would vouch for me-"

A piece of gum magically appeared in Jessie's mouth and she popped it like a damn cheerleader.

"As far as I, as well as the Forks Hospital are concerned, Chief Swan has one daughter who is currently in a room waiting for Dr. Cullen. Now if you would please take a seat and wait I would be more than happy to get back to my job."

It seemed Jessie was done with giving her attention because as Abby opened her mouth to explain their family relation, Jessie picked up the phone- that had 5 on hold calls- and started speaking in the condescending tone while popping her gum.

It took every fiber in her body to not just shake the information out of Jessie, or run screaming down the halls like a madman. Instead she turned and marched to one of the empty chairs, shooting a quick look to the bronze skinned boy next to her.

She pulled out her flip phone- no service in a public hospital was a tragedy. Abby stuffed her phone back in her pocket and crossed both arms with a huff. Her eyes darted to the guy to her left.

Well, suffice to say he was pretty massive. As in his bicep was the size of her head and his hand could probably crush her throat. His arms were crossed over his chest and made him look even more like he was on way too many steroids for someone his age.

His face was much like his arms; it was hard and well-defined, cheekbones and a strong jaw that could cut glass.

She wondered why he had such a stern look on his face. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

She nearly squealed when his deep voice rang through her ears, his own eyes now meeting hers. They were chocolate brown and held such anger it made her rear back a few inches.

She murmured 'Sorry' and turned forward in her seat, very aware of his eyes watching her now. He was scanning her, as she'd scanned him. He made a noise of what could be approval before turning back to stare forward, planting his hands on his thighs and stretching his upper body.

Well now she could clearly see why he was at the Hospital; He had unsightly dark grotesque open wounds on his bulky knuckles, dried blood trails on his fingers and caked dirt in his nails. A few of the once open bruises had closed but she assumed he would need stitches on the still bleeding ones or something. She wondered what the other guy looked like; maybe he'd beat him so bad he was in the ER.

"Your parents ever tell you it's rude to stare?" She finally turned to fully look at him. "Anyone every tell _you _it's rude to stare?"

They had a stare down that she obviously won when he smirked and turned forward once more. "I mean I can't blame you. You see Jessie there-" He points to the front desk and wiggles his eyebrows when Jessie looks up, making her blush and pop another bubble of pink gum.

He leaned in and whispered, "I don't even _live_ over here, and I'm not sayin I come here just to watch her _squirm_. But she just can't get enough of me. I just come for the eye candy and when she goes on break…" He broke eye contact with Jessie to wink at Abby.

It took her a minute to realize his insinuation before gasping and smacking his shoulder. "You're an idiot."

He smirked. "No I'm Paul."

He snickered at his own joke before offering her his hand, to which she stared at and slowly shook, careful of the bruises and blood. He had hot hands, like really _hot _warm hands. Was this guy sick? She took back her hand and they just kind of stared at each other.

He wasn't the type of guy she normally talked to; typically the nerds favored her company and this guy was anything but- and he seemed to be kind of a dick. But at least he was a slightly friendly dick. Though his stare was pretty intense.

Well, he was more smirking at her and she avoiding his eye. "Its rude not to introduce yourself. Hell, you could be a serial killer for all I know."

She gawked. "Are you calling _me _a serial killer? Look at you Mr. Muscles, you could probably squeeze my head like a melon."

He shook off her joke with another smirk- he seemed to do that a lot, "Nah, Jake would kill me if I even touched you. He talks about your cousin like she hangs the freaking moon."

Her mind is running with a million questions; who was Jake? How did he know her? Or Bella for that matter? She raked her brain for a minute but came up empty. Paul turned his neck so fast she thought it would snap and stare at the large entrance doors with narrowed eyes. She turned to look in the same direction but didn't see anything.

She watched him stand and stretch, his tight black tee lifting and showing a bit more tanned skin before lowering once more. "Well, I'll see you later Abby. I think your cousin just finished too." He patted her knee – her eyes took in his healed knuckles that were bleeding only minutes ago- and she gave him a confused look.

With a wink and another goddam smirk, he strut his way to the front doors and started in a sprint to god knows where, and out of Abby's eyesight. She and Jessie stared at where he last stood like a pair of _morons _right as Charlie came around a corner and called her name.

"Where have you been? Bells and I are already done."

She jabbed a thumb at Jessie, "Someone said only family and one at a time so my clearance was a no-go." He waved her off with a huff before Bella came out with a small grimace.

"Can we go now? Please?" Bella spoke so softly they barely heard her and Charlie nodded, but stopped Abby with a hand on her shoulder.

"I told Dr. Cullen about-" He pointed to the general area of her bruised nose "He said he'd take a look at it in Room 217, down the hall to the left. And don't give me that look, it'll take five minutes and then we can go."

He walked off after Bella and Abby followed his specific instructions, down the hall to the left in room 217. She knocked lightly on the blue door and reared back when it opened and a smiling face revealed to her.

So this was Dr. Cullen. He was taller than her, maybe the same height as Charlie, and had golden-slicked back locks with eyes that must have been hereditary since every Cullen so far had golden eyes. But the soft smile on his face made her grin as well.

"You must be Abby. Charlie has told me your run in with some ice this morning and wanted me to check if everything was okay." He pulled out a little light and brightness filled her sight. "Now tell me, do you feel any dizziness? Headache? Any nausea?"

She lightly pushed the light away "Dr. Cullen I swear, Charlie was jut exaggerating. I fell and hit my nose on the pavement. I don't need all this." Her hand waved around the entire room and he chuckled before turning back to probably get another tool.

"I do think you are correct in saying that your father over exaggerated." She didn't correct him in saying Charlie wasn't her actual dad. "But I do think I have something that'll help."

He rummaged in the drawer for a moment, turning back with a cream of sorts. He unscrewed the container and rubbed some on the bridge of her nose, herself retracting at the cold feel.

"It'll heal the bruise faster than it would normally take." He nodded and screwed back on the cap. Her eyes darted to the door, and she considered making a run for it but he spoke up. "So, how are you liking Forks? Are the locals treating you well?"

Dr. Cullen leaned against the small cabinet and waited for her response. "It's good. Cold." They both chuckled. "It's nice, everyone is nice. It's really, really…"

She searched for the right word. Weird? Strange? Spooky? No, no, she didn't want to insult his home. And there it was, the right word.

"It's not _home._ But it'll grow on me." He smiled at her choice of words.

"Well I do hope that my family becomes a part of your home. I've heard only good things about you from my son." He didn't give her any time to ask _which _son. "Well I think you're good to go Ms. Swan. If anything comes up, please just ask for Carlisle at the front desk. And I promise Jessie won't give you a hard time again."

He nodded with a smile and walked out of the room. Would it be stupid of her to run after him and ask which son? And like, if he'd maybe said anything _else?_

Probably, and Bella and Charlie were waiting for her anyway.

* * *

"So, are we gonna talk about what happened… or not?"

Charlie had gone back to the station after leaving the two girls in the house- where they _promised they would stay like the good daughters they were_\- and here they were, both of them standing in the kitchen and making dinner, or lunch or whatever. Abby was at the counter making a grilled cheese with cheddar for Bella and a mozzarella with provolone for herself.

Bella let out a huff of air with the most sarcastic eye roll, "Not if you're just gonna call me crazy like Edward. I just wanted to talk to him and he just rolled his eyes and basically told me I was making everything up."

Abby snorted as she flipped Bella's sandwich, "Well I hope not. I'd rather not have anything in common with him at the moment. And when did he call you crazy? Before or after he teleported to save you from Tyler's car?"

Bella gave her a wide-eyed look as Abby plated her sandwich, handing it over and starting on her own sandwich building.

Abby sighed, "I know you're not crazy Bella. And frankly, I think there's something weird going on in Forks. And it starts and ends with the Cullens. And not just Edward." She buttered the pan and placed down the white bread layered with cheese, " It's all of them. His siblings, his parents. I don't know what it is but it is _something._"

She wanted to mention what Carlisle had said to her, how he had mentioned that one of his sons had been talking about her, but decided to keep that little tidbit of information to herself. This whole situation was revolving around Bella and Edward, and she wanted to keep the focus on them, not her or any of the other Cullens.

Bella took a bite of her sandwich and nodded, "He said no one would believe me. That I was seeing things and should let it go. But… but I _can't!_ It doesn't add up and he's hiding something from me, from us, from everyone."

Abby flipped her sandwich, "Have you thought that maybe it's something bad? Like he's mafia or something? Maybe he's like Satan or something?"

Bella grumbled but Abby continued, "Or maybe he's like the creature from the Black Lagoon. Family from the Black Lagoon. That's its, I've cracked it." They both let out a laugh and Abby put her cheesy sandwich on a plate and dug in, blowing on the hot cheese as to not burn her mouth.

Bella grew sincere for a moment, really appreciating everything that her cousin was doing for her, "Thank's Abs."

Abby took another bite. "No problem Bells. Cousins gotta stick out for each other. And besides, were stronger together than apart. And I know with both our brains combined, we'll find out what Edward Cullen is hiding."

They finished their sandwiches and were cleaning up when Abby remember, "Hey Bella, you know anyone named Paul? Or Jake?"

Bella gave a shy smile and murmured that she did indeed know a _Jacob _Black, Billy Black's son who had been Bella's childhood friend, who Abby had never met. But she didn't know any Paul's.

"You should meet Jake. You'd like him, he's an absolute dork but he's cool." Abby nodded and watched Bella leave the kitchen and head upstairs, thoughts of bloody knuckles and golden eyes rolling in her mind.

* * *

Charlie didn't make the girls go to school the next day, which Bella deemed 'ridiculous and an endangerment to her education' but Abby saw this as an opportunity to maybe head to Newton's Hardware Store and see if the job was still available.

Even though Charlie was the one who had suggested the job he seemed to be one who thought that she was doing it for the money, which in fact wasn't true. She just wanted to do something beside what she was currently doing, which was waking up, going to school, coming home, rinse & repeat. Having an after school job would give her something more to do.

And it's not like it would be hard, it's a _hardware store. _How hard can it be?

Abby was dressed in comfortable jeans with a graphic tee that featured the News of the World album art. It was pretty sick in her opinion.

She opened her window and stuck her head out, gauging the temperature and whether or not she would need a coat. A deep breath with closed eyes told her that she should bring a coat, especially since she didn't know how long this would take.

A dark blue jacket, sneakers with thick comfy socks, her IPod Nano and headphones in hand were all she really needed. Abby shut and locked the window, closed her door and trotted down the stairs.

"I'll be back in a bit Bella! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" She didn't wait to hear a response before leaving the house, locking the door behind her and starting down the street. Yes, she could've asked Bella for a ride but Abby really wanted to check out the roadside scenery.

It was quite green, seeing as there were so many trees but it was nonetheless a sight to behold. There was nothing like this in Florida and it just felt like majestic scenery that she was blessed to even be viewing.

The road was empty and the wind was chilled. Her feet were quiet fast in pace and her eyes shot from the cold grey concrete to stare into the deep dense woods. It was calling to her, a voice whispering in her mind to step away from the open spaces and fall into the unknown.

God, Charlie would kill her if he found out. No, he would kill her then ground her decaying body. Even Bella would disapprove.

It was really a fork in the road situation, or a path that diverges to two different fates, which is basically the same thing anyway.

To finish walking to the Hardware Store- to stay on the path of safety-, or to have a little bit of an adventure of her own. Her eyes watched the trees and a mischievous smile erupted.

And besides, it wasn't like the forest was _dangerous_.


	5. Could it be Bigfoot?

The first thing she felt was pain; a sharp rock planted itself underneath the soft material of her boot, eliciting a solid screech from her voice box. The ghastly yelp of pain was short lived as she lifted her foot and glared down at the stupid rock, kicking it away and watching it fly with a solid glare.

"I didn't take you for someone who abuses nature in her free time, but then again, I have been wrong before." Abby sharply turned with wide eyes at the familiar voice, staring hard at the perpetrator at hand. It was that guy from the hospital, Paul.

He looked different from the last time they'd met; instead of a shirt covering his chest like last time, his extremely muscular chest was on full display to anyone who wished to gaze upon it's hardness. It made her brows furrow in comparison to her bundled up self; was it not cold?

"Pretty sure walking around that like is abusive in general. I think I can even hear the trees yelling 'cover up!'" He snickered at her comment and walked through the expanse of land that had separated them before simply standing in front of her with that smirk.

"What're you doing out here?" The prominent smirk had fallen off his face and a serious one had formed.

She shrugged, "No reason. And you?"

He grunted in response. "It's dangerous out here. I can take care of myself." His unspoken statement of 'and you can't' left her slightly irritated. "You should leave. Now."

She gave him a look of disbelief, "Thanks but no thanks." She patronizingly patted his shoulder. "I can take care of myself."

She made to bypass him but he struck like a viper and gripped her bicep in a shockingly tight hold. It stunned her to the core that he would stop her in her tracks, but after taking one look at his face, her mind tried to find a way out of this.

He was breathing deeply and his flaring nostrils reminded her of a fire-breathing dragon staring down its prey, and she needed to deescalate the situation, _fast. _

Abby meet his hard stony eyes and spoke with a calm voice, "Let go of my arm Paul." It took him a moment to release her, and a small murmured 'sorry' was good enough for her at the moment.

"How about you give me tour? You can be my official Forks Forest tour guide for the day. This way I can still see the scenery and you can make sure I don't do something stupid like fall off a cliff." She held out her hand. "Deal?"

Paul looked from her face to her hand before letting the hard look fall from his own face, accepting the shake.

They started walking the initial way Abby had been going in the first place. To be honest, she was more focused on the lush moss that covered the ground floor and the smell of the dewy thick tree trunks surrounding her.

It must have been some primal urge deep inside her that wanted to tear off her shoes and rip the constricting coat off and feel the earth's floor between her toes and squeeze it between her fingers. These were the feelings that had lain dormant in her birth state, but her heart swelled at the fact that her urges could be satisfied just outside the door.

Paul's deep voice brought her back to reality, "Sorry bout the arm. Sometimes I just can't…"

She knew what it was like to be living with anger; her stepmom was a perfect example; a perfect specimen of rage and hatred that had in fact driven Abby away. And she herself knew all to well that rage was blinding.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. Don't worry about it." She gave him a bright smile that he shockingly returned. It was about twenty more feet before he spoke up again, "You know people don't usually just walk around these parts."

"Well, I'm not like other people, I guess." He snorted. "I meant what I said about it being dangerous. There are things out here-"

He stopped and turned to sharply watch her.

"Things that what? Are we talkin Bigfoot or wolves or like serial killers? Gotta be specific if you're gonna try to get me outta here."

"What about all three?" She gave him a wild-eyed look, "Are you telling me you've seen Bigfoot? Point me in the direction, I totally gotta frame his autograph." He rolled his eyes as they marched on.

The trees seemed to get thinner a few feet ahead and she quickened her pace, but a light tug on her jacket stopped her. She turned and spotted Paul stepping a few feet away, back towards where she started.

"What's wrong?" She looked back to the thin trees and then Paul once more. "Something bad up there?"

He looked so deeply uncomfortable, almost conflicted about moving forward. He was making that angry face from before but it wasn't directed at her, but instead the area in which she was headed.

"Talk to me Paul, what is it?" He didn't answer and just stood his ground.

"Well fine, just wait here till I get back. For all I know Bigfoot could be up there and I might need your assistance." It was painful watching him struggle to move forward- it was as if something was holding him back that she couldn't quiet see.

This was another fork in the road; go back to Paul and presumably leave the sanctuary of lush forest or venture into the unknown alone?.

"Five minutes." She watched him frown even deeper but only smiled more. "Promise."

He yelled her name as she sprinted the few feet to the thin trees and feel face first into a grassy clearing. It was a circle of greenery with purple flowers peeking out. It was like a painting come to life, except the tall man with sandy locks standing near the edge of the circle.

His back was to her, and his black shirt stretched across his broad back, tapering waist cuffed into tight pants and… were those _cowboy boots?_

The man turned just as she stood up, though she nearly fell back again as the golden eyes of Jasper Hale stared into her soul.

They held each other's gaze and she watched as he took two steps forward, stopping just before the sun could break the circle of trees.

She decided to break the silence before it could grow anymore awkward, "H-Hey, Jasper." Her voice was softer than intended but he seemed to have heard nonetheless.

"Hello Abigail." It was strange of him to use her full name, no one really ever did. But then again, had they ever even spoken to each other?

She took a few steps forward, wanting to shorten the distance. "What're you doing out here?"

He gave her a soft smile and turned to the trees, "I find that in nature my mind does its best to become lost."

Well, that was a strange answer but Jasper was a strange guy to be honest. He turned his gaze from the trees to watch her. "And yourself?"

She gulped under his stare, "Just a stroll. I was with someone but they were spooked or something." She turned full circle. "Nothing scary here though."

He chuckled, as if she'd told a joke that she wasn't in on. He looked different than he normally did during the few times she saw him at school; much more relaxed and almost at peace. She found she liked that.

Abby was ready to turn back and find Paul once more, but Jasper's sweet honey voice cut through the air, "Would you care to join me?"

Would she? The immediate answer in her brain was yes, of course she would _love _to join the boy who'd she been thinking about since she'd seen him and would maybe even have the chance to pick his brain for a bit. And maybe prod him for information on Edward.

But mostly she could walk alongside someone who she thought was so out of her league but had this desperate urge to be beside him that she wanted to fill.

But then the guilt of leaving Paul alone hit her. "Can I just go tell my friend really quick? It'll take two seconds." Instead of waiting for him to answer, she turned and sprinted out of the meadow, eyebrows furrowing at the empty area.

"Paul?" Her voice echoed through the trees and no one answered. "Paul? Where'd you go?" And there was still no answer.

She nibbled on her lip nervously; hopefully nothing had come along and snatched him up. He may have been a big muscled macho man but he didn't stand a chance against something like bear or mountain lion, hell, a wolf could tear him apart.

Abby tried not to panic as she sprinted back to where she'd left Jasper, who had moved from his original far away spot on the other side of the field, to where she had been previously standing.

He quickly noticed her nervous face and found himself stepping even closer, "Is everything all right?"

She shook her head, "No, no, my friend is gone and something could've happened to him and it would kind of be my fault if he died cause I'm the one who dragged him out here in the first place. Should I look for him to make sure he's okay?"

The tendrils of anxiety and fear that had been crawling through her chest had come to a sudden halt, stopping their course to her heart and retreating once more. A calm wave of relaxation hit her like a tidal wave and any anxiety was washed away. This was a strange feeling but she had no complaints.

"You know, I think he'll be alright. Don't you?" He was giving her a smile that made her feel giddy and when he nodded she giggled like a schoolgirl- at least in her head she did, in reality she just gave a brighter smile.

"Shall we?"

* * *

"And where the hell were you?"

"Sorry Charlie, totally lost track of time." She stepped aside. "This is Jasper. Cullen. Jasper Cullen. Uh, Dr. Cullens son. " Jasper held out his hand and Charlie shook it with a slightly more firm grip that didn't faze Jasper in the slightest. Charlie kept his brow furrowed, watching the two of them stand side by side.

"So you and Mr. Cullen here… what were ya'll doing all day that was so important that you couldn't pick up and call?"

She gave him a tight smile, "I was heading to the Hardware Store to try and get a job but got sidetracked. We were walking around; we actually have a class together at school so we exchanged numbers and stuff. I should've called but I did tell Bella I was going out so…."

Charlie threw his hands up like he was scoring a goal in football, "And speaking of Bells, she isn't here either. I swear, you girls are gonna take my ticker out one of these days."

Bella wasn't home? Abby was sure her cousin hadn't made any friends, and no offense to Bella but she wasn't a social butterfly. "Did she leave a note? Didn't tell me she was doing anything."

"She's with my brother I believe." That had both Charlie and Abby turning to face Jasper, who had a small smile on his face. A hint of irritation rose in her, why hadn't he mentioned anything, and exactly which brother was he talking about? She was pretty sure there was Emmett and Edward… there was no way her cousin was out with _Edward. _He didn't even like her, or so she'd heard from Bella herself.

"I believe my brother came across her in Port Angeles and he will bring her home in one piece." Charlie seemed to take his words as enough of a reason to not be angry and Abby gave him a smile.

"Would you like to come in son?" Oh god, please say yes, she would give anything for him to say _yes_.

"I think it's best I took my leave." Jasper turned to face Abby. "I will see you at school." She expected a hug but instead he drew her hand from her side, and placed a gentle kiss on her warm flesh. The cooling feel of his lips had chills going down her back. Those cool lips were gone in a flash and Jasper gave Charlie a smile, sauntering off the porch with a swagger that emulated a cat who'd just gotten a taste of sweet cream.

Charlie closed the door as Abby stepped inside, giving her a side eye look that had her in a defensive stance, "What?"

And Charlie made an innocent face and mimicked her stance, "Nothing, nothing at all." He turned to walk away, "Just surprised that both of ya'll got a case of the Cullens." He chuckled at her ghastly gaping mouth, "Wonder if I'll catch it too-"

He ducked as she reached to hit him, ignoring her infuriated growling at his jest.


End file.
